Saturday, June 4, 2016

Getting Fit

My new year's resolution in 2016 was to be more active. I usually don't make (or keep) resolutions, so the fact that I've made it to June and am still going strong says something! My ultimate summer goal is to drop between 10-20 pounds of excess body fat. I am by no means overweight or unhealthy, there's just a lot that I could do without. Since this is such a dramatic goal, I've downloaded a few apps that have already proved to be very useful.

MyFitnessPal // I use MyFitnessPal as a calorie tracker. I only eat around 1,300 calories per day. I've been tracking for four days and have only gone over once, with room for ice cream (and wine) left over the other three! I have made a deal with myself that I will not let calorie counting get in the way of making memories. So, if a friend wants to get lunch or dinner, I will say yes and not think too much about what I'm choosing to eat. As long as I don't do it too often, I will be set. Another thing about MyFitnessPal that I like is that any calories lost by exercise go right back into your calorie limit for the day! So if I know I'm going to be eating out, I make plans to go on a much longer walk than usual to have some leftover.

Fitbit // I love my Fitbit app. I have the flex, so the only thing I can see is my step progress, and even then I don't have a direct count. The Fitbit app can link directly to MyFitnessPal, which makes tracking steps and calories even easier. And, of course, the number one thing I love about my Fitbit and the Fitbit app is the sleep tracking feature! I'm going to do a post later on just on the Fitbit Flex, but for now, you can read about how much I love the app.

SWORKIT // Sworkit is a circuit training app that you can do anywhere without a gym. You can choose between five options: cardio, strength, stretching, yoga, or "fit in five." Then you choose how long you want to go, anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. I haven't found my sweet spot with this app yet, but I love the features and know that I will continue to use it over the summer when I don't have regular access to a gym. My only issue with Sworkit is all of the ads, but I'm just too cheap to upgrade to premium. ;)FitStar Yoga // Another "no gym no problem" app, FitStar Yoga is partnered with Fitbit and synchs directly with MyFitnessPal. These workouts are definitely longer than Sworkits, but I use them as a stretch/cool down. I've wanted to get into yoga for sometime now, but I can never take it too seriously when instructors (via YouTube) tell me to "find an experience in the space" or something like that. So what I like about FitStar Yoga is that other than explaining the pose, the instructor is mostly silent, leaving you to be inside your own head.

Plant Nanny // Last but not least, Plant Nanny is a cute little app that tracks how much water you drink! You can choose the size of your glass (and change it too) and then you water a plant each time you drink a full glass of water. It's a little confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it it's super cute!